Sanofi Shares Rise After Dupixent Trial Hits Targets, Adding to Drug Potential

By Adria Calatayud

Shares in Sanofi SA rose Thursday after the French pharmaceutical company and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. said their jointly developed Dupixent drug showed potential to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in a late-stage trial.

At 1034 GMT, Sanofi shares traded 5% higher at 95.38 euros ($103.44).

Sanofi and Regeneron said Dupixent met the primary and all key secondary objectives in a Phase 3 trial, and that this made it the first biologic to show clinically meaningful reduction in exacerbations of COPD, as well as significant improvements in lung function, compared to placebo.

Patients who received the drug in the trial experienced a 30% reduction in moderate or severe acute COPD exacerbations over 52 weeks, the companies said.

This is the seventh disease against which Dupixent has shown positive results, Sanofi and Regeneron said. The companies jointly developed the drug under a global collaboration agreement.

Analysts at Jefferies said in a research note that results from the trial suggest Dupixent has blockbuster potential as a COPD treatment, a challenging indication for which no biologic had shown benefits to date despite numerous attempts.

Write to Adria Calatayud at [e-mail]

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

March 23, 2023 06:53 ET (10:53 GMT)

Copyright (c) 2023 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.